


hello, i want to kiss you

by ConvenientAlias



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, The Phantom of the Opera (TV 1990)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 10:18:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14692149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: Erik is annoyed at Philippe's womanizing. Philippe thinks he makes too big a deal of it.





	hello, i want to kiss you

Erik has known Philippe for some time now. They’ve been amicable ever since the first time Philippe wandered down into the opera house basement and Erik for some reason decided not to kill him for the offense. And now it’s been a few years. He doesn’t regret the choice, though sometimes he marvels at his own forebearance, especially on nights like these. From a peephole he’s been watching Philippe’s activities in one of the private boxes all night, and he’s not exactly happy about them.

Philippe, as he often does, has three different women in the box with him and not a single man. A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead—and Philippe’s just obnoxious enough that it’s quite possible he did it on purpose. Erik’s heard him extol the virtues of variety before. It makes him sick every time. What’s worse than that brand of idiocy is that his lust has clearly prevente him from enjoying the opera—he’s spent most of the time making out with one or another of the women rather than listening or even paying the most cursory attention to the plot.

Erik curses him out under his breath. This is an opera house, and an opera house of good repute, not a brothel. He’ll be having some stern words with Philippe later, of that he is resolved.

But when Philippe appears at Erik’s door later, visiting after the show as is their custom, he does not show any signs of remorse. He grins as Erik lets him in, and gives Erik a hug.

Erik really ought to be repulsed at being hugged by such a player, such a disgusting man. He stinks of a mix of perfumes, and his clothes are soft and expensive but rumpled by his night’s activities. But as always, he finds he can do nothing but relax into Philippe’s arms. No one else hugs Erik, no one else touches him—not even Carriere in recent years. Yet Philippe never hesitates.

At least that’s one good side effect of being an irrepressible flirt.

“I’m very angry at you,” he says, as coldly as he can manage, while Philippe just continues to hug him. The man is a leech.

Philippe leans back, and Erik fights the urge to stop him. “Oh? What have I done to make you mad this time?”

He is much too playful about it. Erik scowls, though he’s sure the fact that only his mouth is visible under the mask slightly ruins the effect. His face being frightening all the time unfortunately means he has no gradation of expression, and can’t be frightening when he pleases. “The same thing as last time.”

“Last time? …was I too loud during the finale of a…”

“No.” Maybe he’s wrong about the last time they fought. They do quarrel quite often. “You brought your whoring into my opera house. I won’t have it.”

“I wasn’t whoring.”

“No?”

“One of those women actually performs here, so you can’t object to her. The other two are quite accomplished singers even though they don’t. You’d probably quite like them.” Philippe pauses. He furrows his brow. “Ah. Is that what bothers you?”

“It bothers me that you bring your affairs into my parlor.”

“No, I mean…You knew one of those ladies, maybe? And the reason you are annoyed—you had an interest of your own?”

Erik can feel the heat rising to his face. That’s one of the good things about wearing a mask. No expression means no one has to know on the rare occasions when he gets embarrassed. “No! Hardly.”

“Ah, the outrage makes me think I have hit a kernel of truth.”

“I am not a man like you, monsieur. And I have no interest in your women.” He’s never had an interest in any woman, for that matter. And only occasionally in a man.

Philippe hums skeptically. He walks right past Erik into the house and sits himself down in Erik’s actual parlor, on the worn, used loveseat Erik had Carriere bring down here to make the room look more homey. “Well, I am sorry if I disturbed your night. Still, no one forced you to watch.” Philippe is well aware Erik tends to spy on him. He rarely complains about it, but he doesn’t exactly approve either. Erik winces.

“I don’t understand why you do these things, monsieur. Most of the time you act like a gentleman, and then…” Erik shrugs. Inexplicable.

“Maybe I’m running from the dark, tragic secrets of my past.”

Erik shoots him a look. “Indeed?”

“I’m joking.” Philippe grins. It looks a little fake. “Really, Erik. Don’t overthink it. It’s a common thing for a man of society to do.”

“I cannot understand _how_ anyone can do it,” Erik mutters.

“How?” Philippe laughs, and now his amusement seems genuine. “Easy enough. You just get yourself a woman and you become…friendly…and you tell her you want to kiss her.”

“Find a person, make friends and then make advances? Easy as that?” Erik shakes his head. “I imagine there are other things involved. Not everyone would want to kiss you back, and besides, there’s a certain emotional commitment…”

“Well, at times, but not always.”

“I would think always.”

“You watch too many operas.”

“Fine then,” Erik says, a little annoyed again. “I’ll give it a try.” He sits down next to Philippe. “Hello, my friend. I want to kiss you.”

Philippe laughs again, but his eyes have widened. “Erik…”

“So you see, it is not so simple.”

“Well, but that’s hardly…”

“If it’s that simple you would kiss me. But you are held back.”

“But you don’t really want me to.”

Erik cocks his head. “Who says so?”

Philippe frowns and stares for a long moment. Then, in a quick, sudden motion, he grabs Erik’s coat and pulls him closer and kisses him, nose grazing the mask.

He releases him after a minute. “So you see, it is easy. Very easy.”

Erik, out of breath and shaken, is less sure of that than ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt of "CherikPhilippe, I want to kiss you." Comments are much appreciated.


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